Daniel Van Hoy

7 helpful hints for non-pilot landing of a commercial aircraft
If aircraft is flying straight and level:
1. Find the radio (between the seats)
2. Set to 121.5MHz and call MAYDAY with flight number. If conversations can be heard on the existing frequency (119.5MHz or whatever), make your call there first.
3. Explain situation to controller.
4. Pray that your aircraft has full-auto capability. Wait for instructions on how to set up the flight management system for a full-auto landing at the nearest appropriate airport. Report fuel onboard and anything else asked for by controller.
5. Stay on the radio and keep communicating until landing.
6. Sit back, relax and enjoy the ride, you'll soon be a hero!
7. Start planning for the windfall from the movie.

It is my understanding from conversations with some UA staff last week that UA will retire its entire 747-400 fleet this Autumn. The HKG to SFO route has already been changed to brand new 777-300ER aircraft featuring their Polaris business class as of last March.

A question for this august group. David Dao could have walked off the plane on his own accord at any time and this would been a non-event. Why do you think he chose to be dragged down the aisle instead? It was his choice. If you watch the TMZ video (which I encourage everyone to do) taken from the seat behind him he tells the police officer he would prefer be hauled off to jail against his will, including being dragged down the aisle, and sue United rather than give up his seat. All three parties in this sad affair are at fault. The passenger, the airline and the police. The reality is it turned into a perfect storm of shared stupidity and poor decision making. The potential good news is that United Airlines will never be the same again, hopefully in a positive passenger-centric way. Let us hope all the other airlines in the world take note. Oh, let's not disparage an entire company of 86,000 mostly great, competent and professional people because of poor decisions by three policemen a

Don't most modern aircraft have a flight management system that would allow the novice pilot, with help from someone on the ground, to just enter an airport code and fly the plane in full auto mode all the way to touchdown and stop?